Julia Stiles Pays Emotional Tribute to Late ’10 Things I Hate About You’ Co-Star Heath Ledger on ‘Dancing With the Stars’: Watch
She and partner Ezra Sosa danced to Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" on Tuesday (Oct. 20) in homage to Ledger, who died in 2008.
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s Dancing With the Stars dedication show, actress Julia Stiles paid a heartfelt homage to her former co-star Heath Ledger. Stiles, now 45, had previously co-starred with Ledger in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You. They danced together on the show, performing a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli’s iconic song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Stiles wore a blue, shimmering dress reminiscent of her character Kat Stratford’s outfit from the film. As the routine concluded, Stiles laid a single red rose on the floor in honor of Ledger, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 28, having succumbed to an accidental overdose of prescription medication. Stiles expressed her and partner Ezra Sosa’s intention to honor Ledger with authenticity and sensitivity.
Together with other former co-stars from the movie, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Gabrielle Union, and Susan May Pratt, they embraced each other after the performance. Stiles later noted that the emotional dance was a labor of love for everyone involved, who had a close relationship with Ledger. The duo earned a score of 36 out of 40, tying for the third-best score of the night.
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